from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose. >> rose: robert gates is here, hhe has had a distinguished career in public service spanning six decades and served under eight presidents from lyndon johnson to barack obama. >> he took the top job in 1991 under george h.w. bush, president of texas a & m university from 2002 to 2006 when president george w. bush appointed him secretary of defense. president obama asked him to stay at the pentagon making him the first defense secretary to serve in both a republican and the democratic administration, he left his post in june, 2011. at his farewell ceremony president obama awarded him the presidential award of freedom. >> the highest honor. >> this is a man i have come to know and respect. a humble american patriot. a man of common sense and decency. quite simply one of our nation's finest public servants. >> rose: today the united states face as wave of foreign policy challenges, including the pressing question of how to respond to the potential use of chemical weapons by the assad government in syria, the government warned him o